


Set It Off

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, lots of bromance in the pretty setter squad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 10:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5493539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’ll give you everything and anything you need to fight crime,” there’s a snap of fingers and a puff of smoke, as the cloaked figure reveals a secret compartment behind the glass shelf. He takes a moment to right the crown on his head before his attention returns to their newest recruit, blue eyes glinting dangerously. “But on only one condition. You do not, under any circumstances, break the golden rule of the Secret Setter Association.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (*^▽^*) primarily this is a crack fic that I chose to write with absolute seriousness so take that as you will!
> 
> inspired by a prompt given to me (giver wants to stay anonymous) in which the 'pretty setter squad' are actually a superhero/magical boy squad lmao I just got too invested bc I love making dumb things bigger than they actually are 
> 
> oh, also!! I hope it's clear when I switch povs? I tried really hard but ;; working with multiple povs is not my strength!

Sugawara Koushi lives a pretty ordinary life.

Unfortunately, most big stories start with this premise, and this one is no different. Because even though the 2nd (soon to be 3rd) year student at Karasuno High is completely unaware – his ordinary life is soon going to take a dive in the deep end.

But first, before anything happens to disrupt this young man’s wonderfully peaceful life, let’s take this opportunity to introduce our protagonist.

For the most part, Sugawara is a dedicated setter on Karasuno’s volleyball team, but he doesn’t attract all that much attention on his own. Nonetheless, he is a valued member of the team, and his technique lies in his ability to trust and be trusted with immense power regardless of all bounds – to put it lightly.

Stitching his team together with a smile, Suga never fails to lift fallen spirits. Through defeat he endeavors to keep his teammates strong; using the frustration of a total loss to become the motivation to win.

He is not perfect, and does not claim to be. Some losses hit hard, and he’s watched his teammates lose hope – and faith – in each other. Some even go to the point of quitting the team, and giving up.

But for Sugawara, giving up is not an option.

To Suga, it doesn’t matter what the team’s reputation is. ‘Fallen champions’, ‘flightless crows’ – as long as he can play volleyball with his teammates and make special memories, that’s all he wants.

In his final year, he wants to take this volleyball business all the way to the end. They may not be the strongest team now, but Suga’s ready (always ready) for something miraculous to occur. He wants to fight. He wants be on the court until the ball drops and the game reaches a close.

It’s a big thing for someone who doesn’t want to pursue volleyball as a career, to have a club activity consume so much of his time. But he loves it dearly, and he works hard.

Hard enough to be appointed ‘vice-captain’ the coming year, along with his best friend Sawamura Daichi – who in fact, plays the ‘captain’ role at his side.

With high hopes, Suga promises his graduating captains that he’ll work even harder this year. He’ll do his best, and he’ll support his team in any way that he can; regardless of who they are and how they work.

So all in all, he’s quite the respectable protagonist living his ordinary life to the fullest, and that’s where this entire ordeal begins.

He’s – in a word – refreshing.

And that’s all _they_ needed to know.

* * *

 The Secret Setter Association does not plan their squads; that is a fact. Talent comes first, everything else follows. Years of ‘Best Setter’ awards and watching teams worldwide battle their way to the top has been one of the SSA’s favorite pastimes; and having a join success rate of around 95% per region, the Association is quite satisfied with their overall progress. As a secret crime-fighting organization, at least.

However, their progress is still not enough.

With the sudden rise of crime in Japan and the threat of a potential extraterrestrial invasion looming over their heads, they can no longer afford to be picky. They need numbers now, and fast.

This is where the squad leaders come in. Japan particularly, has a squad leader per region. Regions not according to the main map of Japan, to be precise. It’s divided into North, South, East and West – with two squads per region; one for the up-and-coming and one for the elite.

These squads have traditionally consisted of four members, all reputable setters in their own right, and skilled enough for the officials to take notice. All squads are trained for years, reflexes sharp and senses on point, before they’re allowed on missions of their own. But that’s about to change.

Oikawa Tooru, star setter for the Aobajousai High Volleyball team and squad leader of East Japan, has new orders from the top.

He narrows his eyes at the sheet in front of him – it looks like grunt work, really, but he’s been told quite sternly that it’s his job to carry out and there is to be no slacking. What a pain. To think he’s missing an Aobajousai movie marathon for this load of crap. Sometimes it sucks to be at the top.

 _Recruit_. He reads, skimming over the minor details. He doesn’t recognize the names on the list, and thus deems them unworthy of his time.

_Strengthen. Unite. Win._

Frankly, Oikawa doesn’t care. If aliens ever did come to earth, he’s sure he could easily take them on single-handedly – and if he needed help, then surely the other squad leaders would come to his aid? But let’s be honest, why would he – Oikawa Tooru, currently best setter of the east – need help anyway?

He reads the fine print; _new recruits must be visited personally by their squad leader_ , and scoffs.

“Tobio-chan!” Oikawa rings a bell, irritably putting his feet up onto the table before him. The action pushes some of the pens off of the desk, but Oikawa just lets it be. Someone else could take care of it later.

“Tobio-chan! Hurry up!” He calls again, ringing the bell more incessantly. One of the younger setters in his squad – a fresh graduate of his old middle school, how cute – rushes in, looking rather pissed off.

“What?”

“Forget Shiratorizawa,” the squad leader says, waving his hand dismissively as he sends his paperwork a final glance. He’s going to impact this young man’s future and he knows it, but there’s no hope for a guy like Kageyama Tobio if he’s not going to listen and do what he’s told. “You’re going to Karasuno.”

“… huh?” Kageyama looks perplexed, as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “But the other day, you –”

“Times change,” Oikawa replies breezily. “With exam scores like yours, you wouldn’t have made it in anyway.”

The look on the younger male’s face darkens, but Kageyama is at least smart enough to keep any objections to himself. If anything, he just looks like he’s sulking because his squad leader has called him out on his not-so-good results academically.

“So I’m going to Karasuno now?” He asks, patting down his black hair absentmindedly. It stays flat – as it always does – but Oikawa reasons that the younger setter finds a strange comfort in ensuring that it is.

The brunet nods as a belated answer to the question, clicking his tongue in annoyance – though at what, even he doesn’t know himself. “It’s not the greatest option, I know. But I need you to run an errand for me while you’re there, too.”

“An errand?”

“Yes, an errand, Tobio-chan.” Oikawa sighs. “Do you know what an errand is?”

“Of course I do!” Kageyama snaps, before quickly straightening up again. “Uh. What sort of errand?”

“I’m going to need you to recruit,” he replies with a sly grin. “Specifically, the current setter of Karasuno. The big guys want him here.”

“Oh,” is all Kageyama says in reply. “Okay.”

* * *

 Suga gets the fright of his life when a masked man in a cloak and crown lands right in front of him in the middle of the street. He looks up, hoping to figure out where on earth this guy had come from, but there’s nothing up there, so he is left to assume that the man had fallen from the sky.

He’s half-filled with the urge to just run before he’s robbed or something else along those lines, but the other half of him is only filled with worry. Was the man hurt? Could he even see with that getup? His concerned side kicks in when the cloaked man shows no sign of moving, so he steps forward, intending to be of service.

“Hey there,” he ventures, brushing silver hair from his face. “Are you okay?”

In an instant, blue eyes flash in his direction and Suga blinks, unsure of how to react.

“Sugawara Koushi.” The stranger says in a moment of pure clarity, and at the sound of his own name, Suga’s eyes widen.

“You… you know my name?”

“Come with me.” It sounds like a demand, but Suga knows better than to just follow.

“What do you want?” He asks cautiously, standing his ground. The stranger frowns, clearly having expected that he would obey without complaints.

“I’m not dangerous.” The masked man tries, but only succeeds in making himself look more suspicious. If it were not happening to him, maybe Suga would have laughed. Facing no response, the masked man tries again. “I’m from the Secret Setter Association. I’ve been told to recruit you as a member.”

 _‘Well_ ,’ Sugawara thinks, ‘ _if the Secret Setter Association is supposed to be secret as its name implies, then why are you swinging it around so casually? This is a trick, right? Some sort of prank. Something I shouldn’t be taking seriously.’_

“Alright,” is what the silver-haired setter answers. It’s very vague and he knows it, but it’s fine because the other man relaxes, seeming to assume that the ‘alright’ is an affirmative for joining.

“Will you come with me now? I need to show you something.”

Suga shrugs. “Whatever you have to show me, can’t you do it here?”

“Not really.” The stranger coughs awkwardly into his hand. “It’s um. Confidential.”

“There’s no-one around.”

“I really, _really_ can’t do it here.”

He sighs, and places his hands on his hips, just like his mother would when trying to convince him that she was right. “I don’t know who you are. I’m sorry, but I’m not just going to follow you because you asked.”

“There – there’ll be other people there,” the other mumbles. “I just need to take you to a café.”

Suga raises an eyebrow. “Is this a date?”

“N-no!” The stranger almost-shouts, the tips of his ears turning red. “This is a formal proceeding! I don’t – I’m not –”

“Relax.” He really does laugh this time, if only to soothe the masked man’s poor flustered nerves. “Tell me which café, and if I know it, I’ll go.”

“This – this is a small town. It’s just the one down the road.”

Considering his options – if Suga remembers correctly, Nishinoya works there part-time on Sundays – he decides he will go, and that it’s true that this is a small town. If anything happened to him, everyone would know by tomorrow anyway. Not that he has high hopes for this… Setter Association. What would a Setter Association even do? Toss balls all day?

The other breathes a tiny sigh of relief and wraps his cloak tighter around himself. “Let’s go.” He says gruffly, already making his way towards the café. “I’ll talk when we get there.”

Suga follows after a moment of hesitation. He hopes he’s making the right choice.  

* * *

 They arrive at the café just as expected. The masked man wastes no time in soldiering up the stairs, but Suga’s heart isn’t really into copying such a stiff and sturdy manner, so after he waves a greeting to Nishinoya out front, he takes the steps up with a slow sort of grace.

The other is already talking when he steps onto the wooden floor, deep voice cutting right through the chatter around them. Sugawara catches the words ‘justice’, ‘hidden’ and ‘hero’ somewhere in the stranger’s drivel, but doesn’t pay too much attention after that. It sounds scripted anyway, as if the deliverer of the words did not care all that much for what he was saying.

“… so basically that’s why we’re looking for new members.” He ends the rant, and walks over to a glass cabinet, beckoning Suga to stand beside him. He does. He also doesn’t know what he’s doing there and wonders when he’ll be able to head home.

“Don’t worry.” He’s reassured, though regarding what, Suga isn’t too sure. “We’ll give you everything and anything you need to fight crime,” the other continues. There’s a snap of fingers and a puff of smoke, as the cloaked figure reveals a secret compartment behind the glass shelf. He takes a moment to right the crown on his head before his attention returns to their newest ‘recruit’, blue eyes glinting dangerously.

Suga's own brown eyes flick towards the secret compartment and he feels a lump in his throat as he sees what look like lethal weapons and vials of unknown chemicals.

“But on only one condition.” The stranger adds. “You do not, under any circumstances, break the golden rule of the Secret Setter Association.”

Suga raises an eyebrow, taking the bait only because he’s curious. “And that golden rule is…?”

“Do not fall in love with your captain.”

* * *

 Suga declines the offer to become a hero, or whatever they wanted him to be. The Secret Setter Association could do their thing, but Sugawara is bent on doing his. It’s got nothing to do with that random rule (that was apparently important, considering that the masked figure had emphasized it multiple times that night), but simply because Suga is Suga and does not have any intention of saving the world.

He is a volleyball player and a high school student first and foremost, and wishes to keep it at just that.

He hopes they didn’t take his refusal to heart.

Surely the world has enough willing setters to make the Setter Association flourish. They don’t need him as well. And if the whole thing was supposed to stay secret, he’d gladly lock his lips.

It’s not like there is anyone he _wants_ to tell about that bizarre encounter anyway.

But of course, a simple denial is not enough to shove the memory under the carpet.

Suga’s not an idiot.                                   

It’s Monday. He sees a first year with shiny black hair coupled with piercing blue eyes.

… and he starts walking in the other direction because it’s _the guy in the cloak and the crown_ that he met last night, trying to get him to join his stupid setter cult. He takes it back. He hopes they took his refusal to heart and never come after him again. _Why is he here?_

Of course, the stranger looks much less intimidating now that he’s dressed like everyone else, but Suga’s not about to take any chances. The first year meets his gaze.

If anyone asks why Suga suddenly breaks into a run, he really doesn’t have an answer for that.

He makes it his immediate goal to find Daichi, and hide behind his best friend’s glares, to ensure that he’s never left with that first year alone again. It’s silly, in a way, but Suga does not care.

(Or rather, he cares too much.)

(He really does not want to join the Secret Setter Association.)

Luckily, Daichi doesn’t question him when he bursts into the classroom, only offers him a brief smile and a wave of the papers in his hand. “Applications,” Daichi explains, as Suga shoots him a look of confusion.

“For the club?”

“Yeah, come look.”

He reads them over Daichi’s shoulder, previous panic forgotten. As newly appointed vice-captain, Suga is nothing but excited, and he’s got a good feeling about the first years this time, especially after looking over their adorably messy handwriting.

“So these are the applicants this year, huh,” muses Daichi as he flips through the short stack of four papers.

Suga smiles. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

* * *

 Of course, Suga learns very quickly that he can, in fact, wait to meet their new members.

There’s the first two that meet them outside the gym – not awfully impolite, but getting there – and say they will come back tomorrow. When Daichi asks them for a reason, the tall one with the glasses tells the captain and vice-captain that he has a movie to watch, and that volleyball can wait. His companion, more subdued, just agrees.

And then there’s the _other two_.

Sugawara has to mask his shock when he’s finally granted a name to that face – the one first year from the Secret Setter Association that he ran away from that morning; it's Kageyama Tobio.

A genius, a young talent, nicknamed 'King of the Court' back in junior high. To say he is simply shocked would be an understatement.  

Luckily (or unluckily), Kageyama doesn’t acknowledge him at first, too busy quarreling with a shorter boy with bright orange hair, but when Suga finally walks into the gym behind Daichi and their wing spiker Tanaka, Kageyama gives him a knowing look.

Daichi breaks up the fight (as best as he can), and the first years introduce themselves properly.

Hinata Shouyou, with the bright orange hair, shouts that he will defeat Kageyama and also become Karasuno’s Ace.

Kageyama yells that such a feat is impossible, for somebody like him.

Daichi uses his captain voice for the first time, and even Suga has to take a moment to process what’s happening. It’s not enough, however, to stop the first years’ competitive natures for good.

That day will forever be branded in his and Daichi’s mind as the day Kageyama and Hinata blew off the vice principal’s toupee. For Tanaka, however, that day would become his new favorite thing ever. He took to the first years like a moth to a flame, even if he refused to admit it.

Daichi kicked them out though. They had to learn to get along.

And thus ended the beginning of the new Karasuno Volleyball Club.

* * *

 He’s on his way home when he sees Kageyama, who is leaning on the bike racks with his arms crossed. For a first year, he is way more intimidating than he should be, but Suga is not a coward and so he walks on ahead, bracing himself for the inevitable – “Sugawara-senpai.”

“Yes?” He asks, turning around. He had not stayed late for this encounter to happen, and he suddenly regrets not going home with Daichi when he’d been asked.

“Join the Secret Setter Association.”

Straight to the point. So Kageyama was that sort of person. He _did_ look it, but at least now Sugawara is sure.

“I’m sorry,” Suga replies, hoping he does look genuinely sorry. “I told you that I can’t.”

“Is it because of the rule?” Kageyama inquires bluntly, eyebrows furrowing. “You know that’s just formalities, right? I mean, I don’t get the appeal, but I know some guys on my squad are –”

“It’s not because of the rule.” Suga hurries to correct, mentally counting to ten because he does not – will not – think of Daichi in that way. Romance was never high on his list of priorities, and he was sure that wouldn’t change anytime soon. And to think… this ridiculous _Setter Association_ business even had to implement a rule for it…

 _‘Don’t fall in love with your captain.’_ He wants to laugh, but he doesn’t want to offend his new acquaintance. _‘Why would something like that even matter?’_  

“Then what?” The younger male straightens, getting off the bike rack and tipping his head curiously to the side. “Why won’t you join?”

“Won’t a simply ‘I’m not interested’ suffice?” Suga sighs. “Look, Kageyama, I’m sure the Association means a lot to you, but I’m just … well, me. I don’t know how I’d handle something like… well, saving the world.”

“It doesn’t have to be the world.” Kageyama insists. “It’s just people. Saving normal people.”

He smiles gently. “I’m sorry.”

Kageyama nods, not willing to press any further. But as Suga heads on his way back home, the younger setter starts to follow him.

“Kageyama.” Suga says sternly, swerving back around to confront the first year. Kageyama flinches.

“Can you… do me a favour?” He’s clearly uncomfortable with asking, but something akin to desperation flashes across his usually stiff features.

Suga feels himself giving in already. “What is it?”

“Just… come meet my squad leader.” Kageyama’s voice drops, and he’s almost whispering now. “Please.”

* * *

 Because he’s vice-captain and he wants to work hard for the club, he goes.

Suga knows already that Kageyama is not the type that is easy to get along with, and he wants their relationship to be built on trust – trust that they will be there for each other in times of need. Yes, even though deep down Sugawara really does not want to go, he goes for the sake of his new team member.

And that is where he made his first mistake.

“Welcome to the squad, Mr. Refreshing!”

Kageyama’s squad leader is a force to be reckoned with.

“Hello,” Suga greets, even though he’s already being pulled (quite frantically) inside. “I actually don’t –”

Oikawa Tooru, star setter for the Aobajousai High Volleyball team and Kageyama Tobio’s squad leader, is a crafty little bastard. Um. Not in Suga’s words, of course. He actually thinks Oikawa is pretty nice at first glance, but then again…

“Kenma, how dare you start playing your games while you’re live! Look at the camera and smile for me, no that’s not a smile, that’s a grimace, get it right next time,” the squad leader waves his arms, fussing at two large screens in the squad’s office. “And you, Akaashi! Don’t fall asleep! Where’s your head today?”  

“I just came home from practice.” Akaashi replies with a yawn.

“What? _Just now?_ What were you doing that kept you for so long?” Oikawa squints, then decides the story isn’t worth it. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

Kageyama sits quietly at one of the desks, nodding his head to the two screens before seizing a volleyball in the corner to play with. Suga follows suit, only because the familiar face is a comfort that he won’t get sitting anywhere near Oikawa – especially as the brunet starts on a lavish rant about his day, rubbing at a bruise on the edge of his forehead, previously hidden by his hair.

After watching Kageyama bounce the ball for a moment, Sugawara’s attention shifts to the big screens on the wall. His movements catch Oikawa’s attention.

“Oh, are you wondering about those two?” Oikawa looks at the screens, disinterested. “Yeah. They’re the other members. Kenma and Akaashi live down in Tokyo, so they can’t always be here in person. Say hi, guys!”

Kenma hums, eyes glued to his phone. Akaashi shrugs and manages a half-wave, before he sneezes.

“Bless you,” sings Oikawa, before he launches right back into his rant.

“Um,” Suga begins, in a low voice intended for Kageyama to catch and nobody else. He sees Kenma’s eyes flit to him from the screen, but supposes he can just ignore that for now. “They do know that I don’t intend on joining, right?”

Kageyama stares at him for a moment. “Not really. You have to tell them that.”

“You didn’t tell them?”

The boy shrugs. “I tried. Didn’t listen.”

Suga nods, fine with taking the responsibility himself, and clears his throat.

“Yes, newbie?” The squad leader responds, brown eyes narrowing in scrutiny. “If this is about not joining, then you can forget it.”

“What –”

“If you don’t join, I’m getting rid of Tobio-chan,” Oikawa adds airily, and Kageyama stiffens in his seat. Kenma’s eyes leave his phone and Akaashi watches with a raised brow, corners of his mouth turning down.

“That’s – that’s not playing fair.” Suga says, casting a worried gaze in Kageyama’s general direction. The younger male looks at the volleyball in his hands, refusing to acknowledge anything else.

“Maybe not. But if you’re not willing to take one for your team, then we don’t want you here anyway.” Something cold enters the squad leader’s voice, and Sugawara wonders if this can be considered blackmail. He doesn’t want to get Kageyama in trouble, certainly not. But Suga also wants to be his own person, and make his own decisions.

“Can we compromise?” He asks with complete confidence.

Oikawa looks decidedly unimpressed, but rests his chin on his hands and replies, “It depends.”

“If I… stay in your squad for a week, you don’t kick Kageyama out?”

“Declined.”

Suga grits his teeth. “A month.”

“Declined.”

“What if I find you another setter to replace me?”

“Hm, let me see.” Oikawa lets a sigh pass his lips, clearly meant to be condescending. “Declined.”

 “Why?” Sugawara stands up. “Why are you forcing me into this?”

The squad leader stares for a moment, before closing his eyes, tapping the table gently with his fingers. “Because. Don’t you ever look at something and think – ‘this is destiny’?”

* * *

 Oikawa knows well that Sugawara Koushi does not want to join his squad. He’s made that point very clear, and even though the brunet is just playing when he threatens kicking Kageyama off the squad, the Karasuno setters seem to be taking him very, very seriously.

He wonders why that is.

 _‘Whatever,’_ he thinks. The atmosphere is getting too heavy in here. Oikawa needs to escape.

“Forget it.” He cuts in, before Suga can respond to his impromptu question. “I’ll take you up on that one month offer, but I’m sure after hanging around long enough, you’ll be begging to stay longer!”  

Suga does not look happy but he nods and pats Kageyama on the back. The younger boy nods in return, but avoids Oikawa’s gaze. Ah, well. What can you do?

“Hmm,” Oikawa hums, and he can feel the eyes of his squad members all turn to look at him. Good. He had an important thing to say, after all. “All that tension aside, I feel like the name ‘East Japan Setters’ is kind of lame. Don’t you?”

Kageyama frowns. “I think it sounds fine.”

“Well, you’re lame, Tobio-chan.” Oikawa fires back, slamming his hands on the desk. When Kageyama flinches, the brunet quickly amends, “Oh, you know I don’t mean it. But anyway, we should be called something else! Something with more impact, you know?”

Akaashi sends him a deadpan look. “It’s not like anyone would know about it, regardless of what we’re called. We’re secret for a reason, remember?”

“No, no, I got it,” the squad leader chirps, prompting an eye-roll from Kenma. “How about we call ourselves… Team Beautiful Setters? How does that sound? Fitting, don’t you think?”

There is a collective groan around the room, and Suga only just stops himself bringing a palm to his face. Oikawa laughs. His audience always has the greatest reactions – that’s why he surrounded himself with good company, after all.

“It doesn’t read well.” Akaashi comments, idly fiddling with his fingers. “Make it shorter, at least.”

“Just Beautiful Setters then?” The leader muses.

Akaashi shakes his head. “No. Because if you shortened it, it would read as BS, and I’m sure you know why we wouldn’t want that.”

Kenma cracks a smile at this, but Kageyama just looks confused.

“What?” He asks the room, and Oikawa is the one rolling his eyes this time.

“BS stands for bullshit, Tobio-chan.”

“Oh.”

“But yeah,” Oikawa titters. “You’re right, Akaashi, we can’t have that.”

“If you’re going along those lines, maybe you could use another word in place of beautiful.” Sugawara muses, much to the other members’ surprise. They didn’t expect him to contribute so quickly. He gave a sheepish smile. “Like pretty, maybe?”

“Team Pretty Setters.” The squad leader plays with the word on his tongue. Kageyama scowls, but doesn’t say anything. “Or Squad of Pretty Setters?”  

“Still too long.” Akaashi remarks, shaking his head.

“Pretty Setter Squad?” The suggestion, surprisingly, comes from Kenma. He’s clearly exasperated though, and everyone can tell he just wants to get the conversation over with. Fortunately for him, his suggestion was duly noted.

“I like it.” Oikawa grins, pen in hand. “Then it’s settled. From now on, we’re the Pretty Setter Squad!”

That night, when Suga finally (finally!) gets home, he wonders what he’s signed himself up for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> explanation for name, taken from the wiki:  
> Tobio (飛雄) - Flying Hero
> 
> umm these little snippets were supposed to be in chapter 1 but they made it look choppy imo so this is sort of a filler chapter? but it's important bc this is the start of the journey for all the others so if you get this far, I hope you read this as well! 
> 
> thank you and please have a lovely day! (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡

Kageyama has a problem. A big problem.

And that problem – both sides of it in fact – comes in the form of one Hinata Shouyou.

The first side of the problem lies with the side of him that’s, well, Kageyama Tobio to the rest of the world. The side people see as being antisocial and scary (he’s not, really, but he’s also not about to correct them). It’s the side people don’t get along with very well.

The crux of said problem is not, however, his personality. It’s that he wants, with a great desperation, to join the Karasuno Volleyball Club. But even with the success of dragging Sugawara into the SSA (he joined very reluctantly, but he’s sure his upperclassman would deal with it better than he had); Kageyama is having trouble getting into the club. Because he starts fights. With the aforementioned pain-in-the-ass, Hinata Shouyou himself.

But despite that, the other side of the problem (still very much involving that dumbass stopping him from joining the club), is that Kageyama Tobio of the Pretty Setter Squad, junior in the Secret Setter Association, happened to have a run-in with Hinata Shouyou mere moments ago. And the instincts he’d been trained with – those to save people in need – had kicked in right before Hinata had been knocked over by a speeding car, and Hero Kageyama had accidentally saved his life.

Currently, Hinata is staring at him in awe – embarrassing king get-up and all (he can’t change his stupid assigned hero outfit, don’t judge) – and he clearly, clearly does not recognize him. Thank god for that, because he knows he would never live it down if he had.

“That was soooo cool!” Hinata suddenly shrieks, fingers clenching around the handlebars of his bike as he zooms closer to Kageyama, who in turn steps back. “I was all like ‘oh no what’s happening’ but then you were all like ‘woooosh’ and the car stopped and then you had me and was like ‘gwaaahh’ and now I’m here, and I’m alive, and oh my god, do you play volleyball?”

_Of course that’s what you’re asking me_ , Kageyama thinks with a long-suffering sigh. He had only known this guy for a day or two – if their brief meeting as middle-schoolers is not taken into account – and he’s already much too tired to deal with his antics.

There are so many ways he could answer Hinata’s question, but all of them would involve extending the conversation and Kageyama isn’t exactly keen on doing that.

“I have to go.” He answers quickly, hoping to leave as soon as possible. Spend too long with Hinata and he’s sure he’d figure it out. “Get to school safely.” He mumbles.

“Will do!” Hinata chirps, “Hey, can I get a name before you go though? Since you helped me and all!”

“Just… call me uh,” he hesitates, knowing well that there is no way he can say _Kageyama Tobio_ to someone who already knows him – especially someone who he doesn’t particularly get along with. “F –” Oikawa’s ideas are usually stupid, but he can’t think of anything else right now, so he blurts, “Flying Hero. I’m just the Flying Hero. You can call me that.”

If anything, the lame name only impresses Hinata even more, as his eyes light up and he nods enthusiastically. “Wow, so you’re really a hero, huh? That’s awesome! You’re so awesome!”

Kageyama sputters, stepping back even further.

“Y-yeah. I’m going now.”

“Bye!” Hinata waves. “See you around, Flying Hero!”

The setter feels his face grow hot, then nothing, because he knows he shouldn’t be embarrassed. Hinata doesn’t know it’s him. He’s safe.

* * *

Of course reality dictates that whenever Kageyama feels like he’s safe, he’s really not.

“He was so cool, Kageyama! Totally the opposite of you!”

Hinata’s voice is bright as he gestures with his hands, trying to re-enact a story to his self-proclaimed rival, much to Kageyama’s dismay. Maybe it’s because he already knows the story. Maybe it’s because he knows the story all too well.

“He was like ‘pow’ and came out of nowhere, and I didn’t even fall off my bike!” Running off some sort of high, Hinata continues, “So suddenly I’m on the side of the road and I’m like, ‘wow! I was going to be hit by a car!’ But I wasn’t, because the Flying Hero saved me!”

Kageyama coughs into his hand. “I don’t care.” He says, seeing the other’s face fall.

“I know you don’t!” Hinata huffs. “I’m telling everyone and you were the first one I saw. It doesn’t make you special, okay?”

Somewhere on the inside, Kageyama panics, because he’s just informed that this… thing is going to spread. But he can’t stop it either, because Hinata _doesn’t know_ who his saviour really was, and he intends to keep it that way.

Seeing as Kageyama didn’t respond, Hinata continues. “Anyway, we’re going to get into the volleyball club, aren’t we? You and me. I’m not letting you spoil my chances, you know.”

“I should be the one saying that.” Kageyama grits out. “I’d rather play a match all by myself than play with you.”

That gets a rise out of him. “I can’t believe you!” Hinata cries. “I’m making an effort to get along with you but you keep shutting me down!”

“Well, if that’s you making an effort, then you need to try harder!”

“Thanks for nothing, you jerk!”

* * *

“Oikawa. Where were you last night?”

The brunet looks up, making eye contact with another member on his team as he stretches in preparation for practice.

“Were you worried, Iwa-chan?” He asks, in the annoying tone he knows Iwaizumi hates. Just as predicted, the other immediately looks irritated. Nevertheless, Oikawa plows on. “We don’t have practice on Mondays, remember? It’s not like I had anywhere I _had_ to be.”

“Well.” Iwaizumi begins. “That’s exactly it. You didn’t have anywhere you had to be. You were supposed to be resting. So why didn’t you pick up when I called you?”

“I wasn’t near the phone,” Oikawa lies smoothly. “You know I run that thing right until it dies before I charge it. You must have called when it was dead! How unlucky for you! You must have been devastated to miss me!”

“Shut up, Trashykawa.”

“Hey! Don’t call me something like that…!”

It’s uncharacteristic of Iwaizumi to just leave the conversation hanging – without a single hit to Oikawa’s pride (or body) to boot! But he does, he just gets up and he leaves it there. And Oikawa watches him go.

“What was that about…?” He wonders.

He’s been doing a lot of wondering lately.

* * *

Akaashi is majorly sleep-deprived. He is, and he knows it better than anyone.

He’s also skipped out on morning practice because of it.

That never ends well.

It’s not as if he sets for a Spartan team, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that he didn’t tell anyone, and now his other team members are probably worried. For him, or for their own sanity, he just doesn’t know.

But what Akaashi does know is that he – as a member of the Secret Setter Association – is expected to call in to his squad at least once every week for a status update, and Monday just so happened to be that designated day. Something about Oikawa never being around on any of the other days, or simply the squad leader abusing his authority to make decisions.

Whatever is was, their meetings were always, always on Mondays and Mondays alone.

Which leads to a major factor in Akaashi’s sleep-deprivation.

Mondays, for example, are like a recovery from Sundays; or to put it more precisely, they are the days that brings people back to reality, after they’ve spent the weekend ignoring the fact that such a thing ever existed.

But for the captain of the Fukuroudani Volleyball team, Mondays were the best things ever.

Yes, Bokuto Koutarou, for some completely peculiar reason, adored Mondays.

Unfortunately, Akaashi had forgotten this crucial fact yesterday, and hadn’t been able to escape fast enough. Dragged into hours of spiking practice, it’s no wonder he’s feeling the effects from lack of sleep. Not only did he endure it all, but he still went to that squad meeting afterwards, met their newest recruit and helped come up with a new name for their squad.

It felt… quite unproductive, overall. The squad meeting, he means. Practice with Bokuto always lifts his skill in some way or another – probably from the sheer exhaustion, he thinks, but he can’t say that for sure. Maybe it’s his captain’s infectious enthusiasm, or just the thought of putting _hours_ into this goddamn sport.

But as for the – newly named – Pretty Setter Squad…

He’s not all that invested, to be perfectly honest.

It’s a take-it-or-leave-it sort of thing.

* * *

Kenma doesn’t like it when Kuroo walks him to class. It’s not because he talks a lot, or because he always has an unsettling grin on his face like he’s scheming something. It’s not even because he’s annoying – though that probably plays a large role in it; annoying in the way that Kuroo is tall and overbearing and worries too much about him.

It’s because it makes Kenma feel like he’s little again – like he’s still the kid who sits in the corner with his face pressed to a screen, shutting himself out from the rest of the world because he couldn’t face it head-on with all his might.

The kid who thought too much about what other people saw when they looked at him.

The kid who was too afraid to reach out, in fear of getting hurt. Rejected. Disliked.

But he’s not that kid anymore.

“We’re here,” Kuroo announces suddenly, stopping only for Kenma to walk straight into him.

“You can go now,” Kenma tells him, opening the classroom door on his own. “And you can stop walking me to class, too.”

“It’s routine though,” Kuroo all but whines. “Why break routine?”

“You’re annoying.” He replies, stepping inside.

“Shot through the heart.” Kuroo grins, miming the act of being shot in the chest. “But if you want, then I’ll stop.”  

“Stop.” Kenma says, just before he closes the door. He knows that from now on, he’ll be walking to class alone.

He wonders if he’s satisfied with that.

But Kenma needs to learn how to live on his own. He’s determined. He knows he has to. He can’t hide under an umbrella forever.

That’s why, when he gets to his desk, he taps into his phone;

**Kenma:** I changed my mind. I’m up for it.

The reply, unexpectedly, is instant.

**Oikawa:** I knew you’d come around!

 

**Author's Note:**

> p.s. in the introduction when I said suga isn't perfect, that's a blatant lie I admit it (ง’̀-‘́)ง //fights myself//


End file.
